Hadassah President Severely Criticizes Premier Ben Gurion

December 19, 1951

NEW YORK (Dec. 18)

Premier David Ben Gurion of Israel was severely criticized today by Mrs. Samuel W. Halprin, national president of Hadassah, for his recent charge that American Zionist leaders have gone “bankrupt since the establishment of the State,” and that young American technicians will emigrate to Israel because of discrimination in America. In a statement to the press, Mrs. Halprin said:

“Hadassah strongly takes issue with Israel Prime Minister Ben Gurion’s statement that American Jewish youth with professional and technical skills will emigrate to Israel because of discrimination in the United States. Our belief is that some young Jewish youth with professional and scientific training will emigrate to Israel, not for negative reasons, but because they will accept the challenge to help build a new nation, in accord with the American pioneering tradition. Whatever discrimination exists in America against any minorities is being constantly combatted by all Americans of good will in the spirit of American democracy.

“As one of the principal components of American Zionist leadership, we also deny his charge that American Zionist leaders have gone “bankrupt since the establishment of the Jewish State,” because some of them did not settle in Israel. American Zionists have categorically and publicly stated that the sole criterion of Zionist leadership cannot be personal immigration to Israel. This position was clearly and emphatically stated by American Zionist leaders at the 23rd World Zionist Congress this past summer in Jerusalem.

“On the contrary, American Zionist leaders have consistently held to the view that the major criteria of Zionist leadership have been and still are mobilization of physical, material, spiritual and political support to help secure Israel’s future, the establishment of a strong link between the people of Israel and American Jewry and fostering the unity of the Jewish people. On this basis, the record will clearly show that American Zionist leadership has fulfilled and is now fulfilling these tasks”